1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to air conditioner units, and more particularly to the air conditioner units for a motor vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
In order to clarify the task of the present invention, one known air conditioner unit for a motor vehicle will be described with reference to FIG. 12 of the accompanying drawings, which is shown in Japanese Patent First Provisional Publication 9-20128.
The known air conditioner unit xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d comprises a case xe2x80x9cbxe2x80x9d in which many air passages are defined. The case xe2x80x9cbxe2x80x9d has a ventilation air blow opening xe2x80x9ccxe2x80x9d, a defroster air blow opening xe2x80x9cdxe2x80x9d and a foot air blow opening xe2x80x9cexe2x80x9d from which conditioned air is discharged to the outside of the case xe2x80x9cbxe2x80x9d.
A first mode door xe2x80x9cfxe2x80x9d is arranged at the ventilation air blow opening xe2x80x9ccxe2x80x9d for adjusting the rate of air blown outward from the opening xe2x80x9ccxe2x80x9d. That is, the first mode door xe2x80x9cfxe2x80x9d is pivoted between a close position to close the ventilation air blow opening xe2x80x9ccxe2x80x9d while opening the air passage directed to the defroster air blow opening xe2x80x9cdxe2x80x9d and the foot air blow opening xe2x80x9cexe2x80x9d, and an open position to open the ventilation air blow opening xe2x80x9ccxe2x80x9d while closing the air passage directed to the defroster air blow opening xe2x80x9cdxe2x80x9d and the foot air blow opening xe2x80x9cexe2x80x9d.
In the air passage directed to the defroster air blow opening xe2x80x9cdxe2x80x9d and the foot air blow opening xe2x80x9cexe2x80x9d, there is arranged a second mode door xe2x80x9cgxe2x80x9d which can adjust both the rate of air blown outward from the defroster air blow opening xe2x80x9cdxe2x80x9d and the rate of air blown outward from the foot air blow opening xe2x80x9cexe2x80x9d. That is, this second mode door xe2x80x9cgxe2x80x9d is pivoted between a foot position to open the foot air blow opening xe2x80x9cexe2x80x9d while closing the defroster air blow opening xe2x80x9cdxe2x80x9d and a defroster position to open the defroster air blow opening xe2x80x9cdxe2x80x9d while closing the foot air blow opening xe2x80x9cexe2x80x9d.
In the unit case xe2x80x9cbxe2x80x9d, there is arranged a mode door actuating mechanism xe2x80x9chxe2x80x9d which actuates the first and second mode doors xe2x80x9cfxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cgxe2x80x9d to their desired positions under a given mode. That is, the mode door actuating mechanism xe2x80x9chxe2x80x9d comprises a first actuating lever xe2x80x9ch1xe2x80x9d fixed to a pivot shaft of the first mode door xe2x80x9cfxe2x80x9d, and a second actuating lever xe2x80x9ch2xe2x80x9d fixed to a pivot shaft of the second mode door xe2x80x9cgxe2x80x9d. The mechanism xe2x80x9chxe2x80x9d further comprises a rotatable main link xe2x80x9ch4xe2x80x9d which is engageable with the first actuating lever xe2x80x9ch1xe2x80x9d and engageable with the second actuating lever xe2x80x9ch2xe2x80x9d through an intermediate link xe2x80x9ch3xe2x80x9d. Although not shown in the drawing, the mechanism xe2x80x9chxe2x80x9d further comprises a drive cable which pulls the main link xe2x80x9ch4xe2x80x9d to a desired position under a given mode.
The intermediate link xe2x80x9ch3xe2x80x9d is pivotally connected to the unit case xe2x80x9cbxe2x80x9d and comprises two arm portions which extend radially outward from its pivoted center portion. One of the arm portions has at its leading end a pin xe2x80x9cjxe2x80x9d slidably engaged with a cam slot xe2x80x9cixe2x80x9d formed in the second actuating lever xe2x80x9ch2xe2x80x9d, and the other arm portion is formed with a cam slot xe2x80x9ckxe2x80x9d. The intermediate link xe2x80x9ch3xe2x80x9d functions to turn the second mode door xe2x80x9cgxe2x80x9d in a direction opposite to the direction of the first mode doorxe2x80x9cfxe2x80x9d.
The main link xe2x80x9ch4xe2x80x9d comprises three, viz., first, second and third arm portions which extend radially outward from its pivoted center portion. The first arm portion has at its leading end a pin xe2x80x9cnxe2x80x9d slidably engaged with a cam slot xe2x80x9cmxe2x80x9d formed in the first actuating lever xe2x80x9ch1xe2x80x9d, the second arm portion has at its leading end a pin xe2x80x9cpxe2x80x9d slidably engaged with a cam slot xe2x80x9ckxe2x80x9d formed in the intermediate link xe2x80x9ch3xe2x80x9d, and the third arm portion has at its leading end a connecting opening xe2x80x9cqxe2x80x9d to which the drive cable (not shown) is connected.
In the air conditioner unit xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d having the above-mentioned construction, for achieving a ventilation mode of the unit xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d, the main link xe2x80x9ch4xe2x80x9d is pivoted to a given position by the drive cable, so that the first mode door xe2x80x9cfxe2x80x9d opens the ventilation air blow opening xe2x80x9ccxe2x80x9d while closing the air passage directed to the defroster air blow opening xe2x80x9cdxe2x80x9d and foot air blow opening xe2x80x9cexe2x80x9d. While, for achieving a defroster mode of the unit xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d, the first mode door xe2x80x9cfxe2x80x9d is pivoted to open the air passage directed to the defroster air blow opening xe2x80x9cdxe2x80x9d and foot air blow opening xe2x80x9cexe2x80x9d while closing the ventilation air blow opening xe2x80x9ccxe2x80x9d and the second mode door xe2x80x9cgxe2x80x9d is pivoted to open the defroster air blow opening xe2x80x9cdxe2x80x9d while closing the foot air blow opening xe2x80x9cexe2x80x9d. While, for achieving a foot mode of the unit xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d, the first mode door xe2x80x9cfxe2x80x9d opens the air passage directed to the defroster air blow opening xe2x80x9cdxe2x80x9d and foot air blow opening xe2x80x9cexe2x80x9d while closing the ventilation air blow opening xe2x80x9ccxe2x80x9d, and the second mode door xe2x80x9cgxe2x80x9d opens the foot air blow opening xe2x80x9cexe2x80x9d while closing the defroster air blow opening xe2x80x9cdxe2x80x9d.
In the above-mentioned known air conditioner unit xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d, the mode door actuating mechanism xe2x80x9chxe2x80x9d includes the rotatable main link xe2x80x9ch4xe2x80x9d and the intermediate link xe2x80x9ch3xe2x80x9d which are relatively large in size. Due to usage of such larger parts, the layout of the three openings xe2x80x9ccxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cdxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cexe2x80x9d and the two mode doors xe2x80x9cfxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cgxe2x80x9d is highly limited, which causes a difficulty with which the air conditioner unit xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d is made compact in size.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an air conditioner unit which can be compact in size due to usage of a compact mode door actuating mechanism.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an air conditioner unit which comprises a casing having a plurality of air passages defined therein; pivotal mode doors pivotally arranged in the case to provide given operation modes of the air conditioner unit when assuming given angular positions, each mode door having a pivot shaft of which leading end is exposed to the outside of a wall of the case; and a mode door actuating mechanism arranged on the wall of the case to actuate the pivotal mode doors, the mode door actuating mechanism comprising operation levers which are pivotal relative to the wall of the case, each operation lever having a cam opening and being connected to the exposed leading end of the pivot shaft of the corresponding mode door to pivot therewith; a slider member which is slidable relative to the wall of the case; engaging pins provided on the slider member and slidably engaged with the cam openings of the operation levers respectively; and an actuator member for sliding the slider member relative to the wall of the case.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an air conditioner unit which comprises a case having a plurality of air passages defined therein; at least two pivotal mode doors pivotally arranged in the case to provide various operation modes of the air conditioner unit when assuming given angular positions, each of the mode doors having a pivot shaft of which leading end is exposed to the outside from a wall of the case; and a mode door actuating mechanism attached to an outer surface of the wall of the case to actuate the two pivotal mode doors, the mode door actuating mechanism comprising a base structure adapted to be mounted to the outer surface of the wall; two operation levers pivotally held at respective hub portions thereof by the base structure, each operation lever having a cam opening and being coaxially connected to the leading end of the pivot shaft of corresponding one of the two mode doors; a slider member slidably held on the base structure; two engaging pins provided on the slider member and slidably engaged with the cam openings of the two operation levers respectively; and an actuator member for sliding the slider member relative to the base structure.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an air conditioner unit which comprises a case having a plurality of air passages defined therein; two pivotal mode doors pivotally arranged in the case to provide various operation modes of the air conditioner unit when assuming given angular positions, each of the mode doors having a pivot shaft of which leading end is exposed to the outside from a wall of the case; and a mode door actuating mechanism detachably attached to an outer surface of the wall of the case to actuate the two pivotal mode doors, the mode door actuating mechanism comprising an elongate housing detachably mounted to the outer surface of the wall, the housing having first and second holding portions at upper and lower walls thereof; first and second operation levers pivotally held at respective hub portions thereby by the first and second holding portions respectively, each operation lever having a generally L-shaped cam opening and being coaxially connected to the leading end of the pivot shaft of corresponding one of the two mode doors; a slider member slidably held in the housing; two engaging pins provided by the slider member and slidably engaged with the L-shaped cam openings of the first and second operation levers respectively; an elongate lid member attached to the housing; and an actuator member for sliding the slider member in the housing.